Price movements and fundamentals across major commodities.
Analysis and reporting on commodities such as oil, natural gas, gold, industrial metals, and agricultural products. Focuses on supply-demand dynamics, geopolitical risks, inventory trends, and macro drivers affecting commodity markets.
1,884 total articles
Investor focus remains split between geopolitical instability in the Middle East and a fresh wave of AI-driven market momentum. Developments over the weekend saw diplomatic hopes between the U.S. and Iran falter and new military exchanges, while AI-related moves - notably a new Nvidia chip and strong South Korean exports driven by chip demand - con…
Iran accused the United States of sending inconsistent messages and pointed to ongoing Israeli strikes in the region as factors delaying efforts to resolve the U.S.-Iran conflict. Tehran said mistrust is pervasive in current exchanges, warned regional states against enabling strikes on Iran, and reiterated its demand for the release of frozen funds…
Gold traded little changed in Asian hours as market participants balanced the lack of progress in U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks with persistent inflation concerns that have boosted expectations for a Federal Reserve rate rise this year. Spot and futures contracts showed modest declines while other precious metals registered mixed moves.
Oil prices climbed in Asian trade as renewed combat between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon heightened concerns about potential disruptions to Middle East oil supplies. Brent and WTI each gained 2.1% after steep weekly declines, while uncertainty around U.S.-Iran negotiations and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz kept traders on…
The EU is weighing a temporary pause to its six-monthly automatic adjustment of the price cap on Russian Urals crude amid the protracted Middle East conflict. Options under consideration include freezing the cap at $44.10 per barrel, suspending dynamic increases until year-end, or limiting any rise to $60 to match the G7 level. The measure would be…
U.S. Central Command says it fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Gambia-flagged vessel Lian Star after the ship was warned repeatedly while transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. Centcom said the vessel is no longer proceeding to Iran. The action comes amid a U.S. blockade that began on April 13…
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo this week to coordinate the response to the latest Ebola outbreak, stressing that community involvement is essential. Congolese authorities reported 1,028 suspected cases by Friday, while the WHO says it has received only one-third of requested funds. Medec…
U.S. Department of Agriculture data show New World Screwworm larvae were discovered in a six-month-old sheep in Coahuila, Mexico, approximately 31 miles (50 km) from the U.S. border. The finding intensifies concerns for U.S. cattle producers and the beef market amid ongoing containment efforts and a U.S. ban on Mexican cattle imports.
Diplomatic talks between Iran and the United States are centered on a key and contentious asset: Iran’s inventory of highly enriched uranium (HEU). While much of the country’s enrichment infrastructure was shattered or badly damaged in June attacks, a substantial portion of the enriched material is believed to have survived. U.S. officials are focu…
Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was premature to conclude whether the drone that crashed into an apartment block in Romania was Russian, suggesting it could have been Ukrainian and calling for forensic analysis. NATO has accused Moscow of reckless behaviour and vowed to defend allied territory after Romania said a Russian drone had struck …
JP Morgan has lowered its global refined zinc production forecast for 2026 by almost 300,000 metric tons, narrowing the market balance by a comparable amount. The bank now projects a global surplus of about 130,000 tons, expects mine supply growth to fall 5% year-on-year, and forecasts LME zinc prices to average $3,400-$3,500 per metric ton for the…
A senior Russian security official warned European governments that drones will keep appearing in their countries and disrupting civilian life after Romania reported a Russian drone crashed into an apartment block. NATO condemned the incident and vowed to defend alliance territory, while Moscow said attribution of the drone remains to be establishe…
European natural gas benchmarks ticked up on Friday as investors balanced reports of a possible 60-day extension to a U.S.-Iran ceasefire with ongoing concerns about regional supply disruptions and weaker-than-usual storage replenishment ahead of winter. Traders monitored modest gains at the Dutch TTF hub and in British futures while noting lower E…
Gold has retreated from its late-January peak and is currently probing several key support markers. Yardeni Research said the convergence of trend support, the 200-day moving average and a prior low should provide a stable base, and the firm retained aggressive long-term price forecasts while flagging a stronger dollar, rising rates and central ban…
Early optimism over reports of a potential 60-day U.S.-Iran ceasefire and a prospective reopening of the Strait of Hormuz sent oil prices tumbling this week, yet market attention largely shifted to a rally in chip stocks and broader equity gains. Traders remain guarded as Treasury yields and inflation data complicate the outlook for interest rates …
European commissioners met on May 29 to consider policies aimed at reducing the bloc's dependence on China for a range of inputs, including critical minerals and chemicals. Proposals under discussion include compelling companies to diversify supply chains and creating trade instruments to limit Chinese access to strategic sectors. The measures are …
Officials familiar with talks say the United States and Iran have reached a memorandum of understanding that would extend a ceasefire, allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and lift a U.S. blockade and some sanctions, while giving negotiators 60 days to finalize a comprehensive agreement. Key disagreements - including Iran's nuclear programm…
Gold traded little changed in Asian hours as markets balanced news of a potential extension to a U.S.-Iran ceasefire against renewed inflation concerns after U.S. PCE data showed faster price growth. Spot gold was at $4,495.9 an ounce late Friday, while U.S. gold futures slipped 0.1%. Investors weighed safe-haven demand from geopolitical developmen…
A Greenpeace study concludes that illegal gold mining remains widespread across Brazil's Amazon, with so-called "ghost permits" from inactive licensed areas used to justify the sale of large quantities of gold. The report estimates 26.8 metric tons of gold, worth about $3.88 billion, were sold using permits tied to areas showing no mining activity …
Oil futures fell in Asian trade on Friday and were set for sharp weekly losses as markets absorbed reports that Washington and Tehran were close to a draft deal to extend a fragile ceasefire, while investors also digested hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data and weaker first-quarter economic growth revisions. Brent and WTI were down, and both b…
Oil futures retreated modestly after reports of a possible extension to a U.S.-Iran ceasefire and steps to ease restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Comments from U.S. Vice President JD Vance that talks were close but not concluded kept prices from falling further. Brent and U.S. crude finished the session lower, capping a volatil…
Total independently held oil product inventories in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub fell roughly 1% in the latest week to 4.42 million metric tons, reaching their lowest level since November 2014, driven by decreases across most products even as gasoline stocks rose on increased blending activity, according to data fr…
European natural gas benchmarks rose on Thursday after renewed exchanges of strikes between U.S. forces and Iran undermined expectations for a near-term deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Dutch front-month TTF contract and British futures both moved higher as reports described strikes near Bandar Abbas, retaliation from Iran’s Islamic Revolut…
Bernstein's recent investor note, based on a survey of the world’s 50 largest listed oil and gas companies, identifies $75 per barrel as a sensible long-term oil price for equity valuations. The note reports a temporary drop in global marginal costs in 2025, an expected rebound in 2026, a net income breakeven of $50/bbl, and structural shifts in re…
Three months after the outbreak of hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel, military engagements continue and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is effectively halted. Oil remains near $100 per barrel as blockades constrain physical flows, yet broader financial markets have shown limited disruption. Key U.S. data due this week -…
